Latest News
Piecing the puzzle of tusklessness in male African elephants
Image © Olympia Brule/Save the Elephants
12th December 2023
Researchers are puzzled by the presence of a tuskless male African elephant (pictured above) in northern Kenya, challenging established genetic evidence that typically indicates only females are born without tusks. The 13-year-old elephant from the Hawaiian Island family was first spotted by Save the Elephants in Samburu National Reserve in 2001 and is believed to be the first publicly documented case of a male African born without tusks. Although researchers continued to monitor his progress, he never grew any semblance of tusks – a feature that normally emerges around the age of two and a half years. Save the Elephants now intends to conduct genetic research on tuskless male elephants to determine whether this trait is inherited. This intriguing discovery was recently published as a scientific study in Pachyderm.
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Rural communities given the power to go forth and coexist
© Kent Ngibuini / Save the Elephants
5th October 2023
Community and conservation representatives from across Kenya have been learning first-hand how to keep elephants out of their ‘backyards’. Hot on the heels of the launch of our Human-Elephant Coexistence (HEC Toolbox) last year, we’ve been conducting Training of Trainers workshops to equip instructors with the knowledge and tools necessary to teach others how to coexist peacefully with elephants. The training sessions took place in April, July, and August 2023 and were led by our own team of HEC experts from Save the Elephants.
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The community that lives with elephants 🐘
© Anthony Ochieng / Save the Elephants
12th August 2023
A unique story is unfolding in Lake Jipe, Kenya where amidst the challenges of ecological degradation and poverty, a remarkable bond has formed between a local community and a special group of elephants.
Generations have grown up side by side with their pachyderm ‘brothers’, fostering an intimate understanding of their behaviours and habits. Despite the hardships faced, the people of Lake Jipe take immense pride in their harmonious relationship with the elephants. However, the urgent need for intervention and restoration programmes looms, as Lake Jipe's ecological balance teeters on the edge.
Read more here | 3 min read